Sermon Tone Analysis

In Matthew 26 Jesus is betrayed by Judas, arrested and taken to Caiaphas the high priest to be interrogated by the scribes and the elders.

Witnesses came and said they heard Jesus say that He could destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.

The High Priest then asked him under oath to tell them if was the Messiah, the Son of God.

In Matthew 26:64 Jesus replied, “You have said it.

But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

This enraged the high priest and the rest of the court.

They declared Jesus a blasphemer, decided he deserved to die and then spit on him, beat him, and some even slapped him.

As they hit Him they told him to prophesy and tell them who it was that hit Him.

While this was going on Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, fulfilled Jesus prophecy and denied that he knew Jesus three times.

Jesus had told him he would do this, and after the third time the rooster would crow.

The rooster crowed after Peter’s third denial and Peter broke down in tears over his sin toward Jesus.

Matthew 27:1-10

Matthew 27 begins the morning after Jesus is questioned, beaten, and condemned to die.

When Judas finds out that they have decided to kill Jesus he is remorseful and returns the 30 pieces of silver to the Jewish leaders.

But, it’s important to note that the word used here in the greek is different from the word we use for repent.

Judas was not remorseful in the sense that would lead to him changing his mind or his heart.

Instead, Scripture tells us that Judas we filled with the regret that leads to despair.

I want to mention this because Judas turns further from the Lord in his remorse where Peter turns toward the Lord in his grief over his actions.

Judas kills himself in his despair.

Because Peter’s remorse was repentant Jesus restores him later after his resurrection.

The Jewish leaders use the 30 pieces of silver form Judas to buy a field as a burial place for foreigners.

The place was known as the field of blood because of how the $ was gained, not because it was where Judas hanged himself.

The $ was literally blood $ given as payment for Jesus’ betrayal that led to his crucifixion.

Matthew 27:11-26

The next step in the trial of Jesus was to take him before Pilate, the governor.

The Jewish leaders brought Jesus before the governor with the claims that he was guilty of misleading the nation, preaching against paying taxes, and claiming to be a king.

Each one of these was political rather than religious.

The Romans did not concern themselves with the religious issues of the Jews, so they brought Jesus up on political and social charges that they knew the Romans would take serious.

Pilate did not find any fault in Jesus.

And, when Pilate found out that Jesus was from Galilee he sent Jesus to Herod.

Herod was the one who had killed John the Baptist and had jurisdiction over the area that contained Galilee.

But, Matthew doesn’t record this in his gospel and sticks with Pilate.

Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate because Jesus refused to speak before the one who had killed the mouthpiece and prophet of the Lord.

Pilate was still of the opinion that Jesus had done nothing wrong, and in an attempt to absolve himself of what happened next he put the decision in the hands of the people.

It was tradition at that time of year for one prisoner to be released.

He brought Jesus and one of the worst prisoners he had before the people to let them choose.

Pilate told the people they could choose Jesus or Barabbas.

Barabbas was a robber and a murderer, and Pilate assumed the people would reject Barabbas and have Jesus released.

But, the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to release Barabbas and led the crowd in the charge to crucify Jesus.

When the crowd yelled crucify him, Pilate asked them “Why?

What has he done wrong?”

But, they just kept crying out “Crucify Him, crucify him!”

In Matthew 27:24 it was that Pilate washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.

See to it yourselves!”

With that the crowd answered and said “His blood be on us and on our children!”

And with that Barabbas was released and Jesus was mocked by the military.

Matthew 27:27-31

According to Matthew 27:27-31… They dressed him in a scarlet robe, twisted a crown of thorns and put it on his head.

They placed a staff in his right hand and knelt down before him and mocked him by saying “Hail, king of the Jews!” Then they spit on him, took his staff, hit him in the head, and stripped him of the robe and led him away to be crucified.

Matthew 27:32-44

According to Matthew 27:32 they had to force another man to carry the cross of Jesus.

Jesus was too weak from the beatings over the last night and day that he couldn’t carry the beam on his shoulders or back.

When they arrived at the place called Golgotha they crucified Jesus.

This means that they nailed his wrists to the beam on the cross and his feet to the post the beam was attached too.

The cross was more than the pain of the nails, it was torturous pain with every breath that he took.

The cross could eventually suffocate a man as he lost the strength or couldn’t take the pain of pushing on the nails in his feet to take a breath.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross the soldiers divided his clothes up and cast lots (like rolling dice) to see who would get to have it.

After they divided up his belongings they sat down and guarded him.

There was a sign placed above Jesus’ head that read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:38-44 tells us that while Jesus was on the cross the people who passed by him insulted and taunted him.

It says in verses 42-44 that the chief priests, scribes, and elders were there mocking him by saying “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!

He is the King of Israel!

Let him come down from the cross and we will believe in him.

He trusts God; let God rescue him now— if He takes pleasure in Him!

For he said, I am the Son of God.”

Even the criminals being crucified next to him were taunting him.

Matthew has consistently testified to the signs and wonders that accompanied the life and ministry of Jesus.

He has also shown us on many occasions where the leaders of the Jews continued to demand one more sign from Jesus before they would believe and follow Him.

And here while Jesus is on the cross they are once again telling him what He can do to win their allegiance and belief.

Matthew 27:45-56

So, in typical Matthew fashion we get a series of the signs that accompanied the crucifixion and death of Jesus.

These signs further testify to the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us on the cross.

4 Signs & Wonders at the Death of Christ

1.

There was darkness over the entire land from 12-3:00pm

This is reminiscent of the plague of darkness that God brought against the Egyptians when He was freeing them from slavery.

(Continuity of Jesus and Israel… the covenant of Moses/law is being discarded while at the same time God is fulfilling the covenant He made with Abraham.

The law has been a guardian until the time of fulfillment has come… not the guardian is no longer needed and the promise given to Abraham is fulfilled through Jesus.

The Pharisees were committed to the law of Moses to the degree that they were rejecting the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham.)

2. The curtain in the temple that divided the holy of holies from the sanctuary was torn from top to bottom.

The tear was from the top to signify that it was torn by the Lord and not by man.

(More on this later)

3. The earth quaked and the rocks were split\

4. Tombs opened up and the bodies of many saints who had died were resurrected and appeared to man.

These signs and wonders at His death resulted in awe, fear, and praise!

4 Truths from the passage:

1. Jesus willingly took the insults, beatings, and crucifixion.

He was humiliated and received everything that they did to him without fighting back or even saying a word.

Peter speaks of Jesus as an example for us to follow based on the way He endured the suffering of the crucifixion.

1 Peter 2:21–25 (CSB)

21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth;, 23 when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness.

By his wounds, you have been healed.

25 For you were like sheep going astray,, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

2. Jesus received the wrath of God for our sin while He was on the cross

Matthew 27:45–50 (CSB)

45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land., 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”, 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”

48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink.

49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

50 But Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.